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A Guide to Royal Wedding Events in Toronto
Depending on who you ask, the parties in Toronto celebrating the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton are going to be either all-night drinking parties or early morning affairs that involve downing lots of caffeine. A few television stations will be covering the event for those who want to follow along in their pyjamas, but it could be much more fun to dress up, head out, and meet up with other Royal Watchers in the wee hours of the morning this Friday.
For those still planning their Royal Wedding Day itineraries, here is a list of selected events happening around the city, categorized for those who want to watch at home, join others at an outside venue, or sleep in and celebrate later in the day.
Watch at home:
CBC starts their coverage of the Royal Wedding at 2 a.m. EST. For the late(r) risers, CTV kicks things off at 3 a.m.Watch with others:
- A bevy of events begin at 5 a.m. or soon after. The CBC is hosting a CBC Royal Wedding Viewing Party at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre Atrium (250 Front Street West) with free tea and scones. Prizes will be awarded to some guests, based on their willingness to wear a hat, wedding dress, or bridesmaid dress for the event.
- Le Meridien King Edward Hotel (37 King Street East) is hosting an English Breakfast and live broadcast at the Sovereign Ballroom for $65. And, not to be outdone, the Fairmont Royal York (100 Front Street West) will be serving a traditional English breakfast for $21, with a smart-casual dress code.
- For those who wish to keep things casual, the Duke of Kent (2315 Yonge Street) and the Fox and the Fiddle (27 Wellesley Street) will serve a traditional English breakfast, while Royal Watchers take in the festivities on the big screens.
- At 5:45 a.m., just before the ceremony begins, Councillor Sarah Doucette (Ward 13, Parkdale-High Park) is inviting her constituents to a morning tea party at the Swansea Town Hall‘s Rousseau Room (95 Lavinia Avenue). A red, white, and blue dress-code is suggested.
Celebrate after the ceremony:
- At 8 a.m., The O&B Canteen at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West) will be celebrating with “Buckingham Butties,” inspired by the event for $4.29.
- Toronto Antiques on King (284 King Street West) will have a Royal Wedding party starting at 1 p.m. with high tea for free. They will also be selling Cynthia Findlay‘s replicas of Kate’s ring, with 50 per cent of profits donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
- Later in the afternoon, at 3:30 p.m., T-buds Uptown Tea Lounge (3343 Yonge Street), will celebrate with special blends for Royal Wedding High Tea for $35. There will also be a life-sized cardboard cut-out of William and Kate for picture taking until May 14. A portion of the proceeds from the pictures will also be given to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Worried about waking up on time? The Toronto Star will give you a free Royal wake-up call between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. if you sign up at Wonderlist.ca.